You Earned This Benefit.Here's How to Use It.
No down payment for eligible buyers, no private mortgage insurance, and a funding fee some veterans don't pay at all. This page covers how the benefit works when you buy in San Antonio, from who qualifies to loan limits and assumptions.
Let's Talk About Your Next Move →Questions about your VA loan? Call me at (919) 800-9870
With a VA home loan, an eligible service member, veteran or surviving spouse can buy with no down payment when the price is at or below the appraised value, and without private mortgage insurance. There's no VA loan limit if you have full entitlement, and veterans receiving VA disability compensation are exempt from the funding fee. Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® and MRP, works with VA loan buyers across San Antonio and all four JBSA locations.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: VA purchase loans · VA loan limits · VA funding fee
Key Takeaways
- Funding fee on a VA purchase: 2.15% for first use with under 5% down, 3.3% for later use, 1.5% at 5% down and 1.25% at 10% down.
- The funding fee is the only cost you can roll into a VA purchase loan, and seller concessions top out at 4% of the reasonable value the VA assigns the home.
- You don't request your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) yourself. Your lender pulls it during pre-approval.
- The benefit can be used again. Entitlement comes back once the home is sold and the loan is paid off, and a payoff without a sale allows one restoration.
- A qualified buyer can assume your VA loan with approval. Your entitlement is freed only if that buyer is a veteran who substitutes theirs.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: VA funding fee and closing costs · VA eligibility · VA entitlement restoration · 38 U.S.C. § 3714
What Does a REALTOR® Do on a VA Purchase?
I've used the VA loan benefit personally. I know how much it can do, and how fast the questions stack up when you're sorting out the details from another state.
I handle the house side of a VA purchase in San Antonio: the search, the showings, the offer and the negotiation. More than 63% of my clients have used VA financing, based on my own transaction history, so VA purchases are a big part of my work. The lender handles the loan, and I can introduce you to VA lenders.
Let's Talk About Your Next Move →What's Different About a VA Loan in San Antonio?
JBSA is the largest joint base in the Department of Defense, so listing agents and lenders here see VA offers all the time. Before you use your loan, think through these three things.
Check BAH Against the Real Payment
Look up your BAH at travel.dod.mil, where new rates post each January, and hold it up against the full monthly payment with property taxes included. Those taxes change a lot from one San Antonio city or school district to the next.
Write a Clean, Strong Offer
VA buyers come to the table having met VA's and the lender's credit and income standards. I write your offer with the pre-approval attached and the terms spelled out, then negotiate.
Plan for Your Next PCS
Orders may move you again in a few years. Before you buy, think through whether you'd sell, rent the house out, or let a qualified buyer assume your VA loan, and what each choice means for your entitlement.
No Down Payment: What Does It Actually Mean?
With full entitlement, an eligible buyer can purchase with no down payment as long as the sales price isn't higher than the home's appraised value. No down payment still leaves closing costs, and the seller or builder can pay some of them. Seller concessions beyond normal closing costs are capped at 4% of the home's reasonable value. There's no private mortgage insurance (PMI), a monthly cost that conventional loans usually carry with less than 20% down.
Who Qualifies for a VA Loan?
Eligibility is based on your service. You may qualify for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) if you are:
- A service member with at least 90 continuous days of active duty
- A veteran who meets the minimum service for when you served (for most service since 1990, 24 continuous months or the full period you were called to active duty)
- A National Guard or Reserve member with 90 days of non-training active duty, or 6 creditable years of service
- A surviving spouse who receives or is eligible for certain Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits, or the spouse of a service member who is missing in action or a prisoner of war
An other than honorable, bad conduct or dishonorable discharge may limit eligibility, though you can ask the VA for a character of discharge review. You don't need to request the COE yourself: your lender can pull it through the VA's online system during pre-approval.
Data current as of October 2026 · Source: va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/eligibilityWhat Is the VA Funding Fee, and Who's Exempt?
It's a one-time charge, paid to the VA, that helps fund the program. On a purchase with less than 5% down, it's 2.15% of the loan amount the first time you use the benefit and 3.3% after that. Put 5% or more down and it drops to 1.5%, or 1.25% with 10% or more down. You can add the fee to the loan instead of paying it at closing. The VA can change these rates, so confirm them at va.gov.
Are There VA Loan Limits in Bexar County?
Not if you have full entitlement. The VA sets no loan limit for those borrowers, though how much you can borrow is still up to your lender. If you've used entitlement before and haven't restored it, the county loan limit caps how much of the loan the VA will back, and a higher-priced home may need a down payment. Your lender can check your COE and tell you which case you're in.
Data current as of October 2026 · Source: benefits.va.gov/homeloans/purchaseco_loan_limits.asp. County limits update each year; confirm the current one with your lender.Can Someone Assume Your VA Loan?
Yes. A VA loan is assumable, so when you sell, a qualified buyer can take over your existing loan at its current interest rate. If rates have climbed since you bought, a buyer may see your lower rate as a selling point.
The buyer doesn't have to be a veteran, but they do have to qualify, and the assumption needs approval. Unless the buyer is an eligible veteran who substitutes their own entitlement, yours remains committed to that loan until it's paid in full. Ask for a release of liability as part of the assumption, so you aren't responsible if the buyer later falls behind.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: 38 U.S.C. § 3714 (assumptions and release from liability)What Does Working With Me Look Like for VA Buyers?
Before you tour, I request any past inspection reports along with the seller's disclosure, and I check the age of the roof, HVAC system and water heater. Share any HOA deal-breakers with me early, and I'll look into them ahead of the showing. I connect you with VA lenders, write the offer and negotiate it, coordinate inspections as needed, and handle the final walkthrough with you.
Buying from another state or overseas? Many of my clients finish their purchase before they've set foot in San Antonio. I can show you homes over video and handle the offer from wherever you are. Looking at a new build? Call me before your first model visit. I come to the model visits, negotiate price and incentives with the builder, and show up for every walkthrough, final included. My new construction page has the details.
Frequently Asked Questions About VA Loans in San Antonio
Are VA loans common in San Antonio?
Yes. JBSA alone had 32,333 active-duty personnel in 2023, and VA offers show up across the metro, especially near the gates.
Can I use my VA loan more than once?
Yes. Selling the home and paying off the loan restores your entitlement, and if you have entitlement left over, it can go toward another purchase. A VA lender can review your Certificate of Eligibility and explain your options. Eligibility details are at va.gov.
How much is the VA funding fee, and can I avoid it?
It's 2.15% of the loan amount when you use the benefit for the first time and put down less than 5%. Veterans receiving VA disability compensation, surviving spouses receiving DIC and active-duty Purple Heart recipients are among those who don't pay it. Get your status documented before closing.
What do VA buyers bring to an offer?
Financing that has already cleared VA's and the lender's credit and income standards, with no down payment or PMI required. Sellers tend to compare price, terms, how soon you can close and how firm your pre-approval is, so get a strong one before you shop.
What is an assumable VA loan?
It means someone who qualifies, whether or not they've served, can take over your VA loan at its existing rate when you sell, once the assumption is approved. A release of liability keeps you off the hook if that buyer later misses payments.
Can I use a VA loan on new construction in San Antonio?
Yes. The home goes through the same VA appraisal as any other VA purchase. Many builders want your agent registered at your very first visit, so contact me before you walk into a model home. My new construction page covers the rest.
Ready to Use Your VA Benefit?
If you're getting serious about buying in San Antonio with your VA loan, tell me which installation you're headed to and the monthly payment you want to stay under. I'll introduce you to a VA lender if you need one, schedule showings, and handle the offer and negotiation once you choose a home.
Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP | Real Broker LLC
(919) 800-9870 | tiffany@tiffanyreedtx.com | tiffanyreedtx.com
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